LONDON (AP) — Norway retained its Olympic title in women's team handball Saturday by beating Montenegro 26-23.

Norway took the lead in the 15th minute when Linn Jorum Sulland's jump shot made it 5-4. Sulland's seventh first-half goal came right on the buzzer for a 13-10 advantage at the break.

Montenegro got into repeated 2-minute suspension trouble early in the second half, and twice was reduced to playing with two women benched.

But the Montenegrins tied it up at 19-19 before Norway bounced back and held on for gold.

As Norway leaped and hugged at the final whistle, right winger Linn-Kristin Koren hoisted a Norwegian flag on a pole and led the team in a skipping run around the court.

For Montenegro, it was the country's first Olympic medal as an independent nation. The country, which formerly competed as Yugoslavia or Serbia and Montenegro, failed to win a medal at the 2008 Beijing Games or the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.

Montenegro's players celebrated their impressive effort by lining up in their goal area for a team photo, then linked arms around each other's shoulders in a circle and jumped around in unison.

In the bronze medal match, Spain beat South Korea 31-29 in overtime.